05 November 2014 - The Philippine Catholic Mission-Switzerland organized the annual celebration of Philippine Migrants’ Day in Switzerland on November 02. The event, held in cooperation with the Filipino community of Fribourg, was held in the town of Belfaux in Canton Fribourg and attended by around 500 guests.
The celebration of Migrants’ Day brought together the Filipino communities from the German- and French-speaking parts of the country.
The event kicked off with a Mass concelebrated by Fr. Antonio Enerio, Chaplain of the Philippine Catholic Mission in Switzerland; Fr. Julipros Dolotallas of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD); and Fr. Jojie Padilla, Order of Preachers (Dominican).
This was followed by a lunch serving Filipino cuisine and a program that highlighted Philippine culture by showcasing the sights, sound and movement which are distinctly Filipino.
Performers from the Filipino communities in various cantons of Switzerland gave the audience the following special cultural numbers: Maranao Dance by the Filipino community of Geneva; Waray Dance by the Filipino community of Berne; and the Gayong-Gayong Dance (from Aklan/Capiz) by the Filipino community of Lausanne.
Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland Leslie J. Baja expressed his appreciation to the Filipino diaspora community for their contributions to Philippine economy and society. He commended the Filipino migrants in Switzerland for continuing to be truly Filipino despite being away from the Philippines for a long time.
The Ambassador also stressed that, with the cooperation of kababayans, the Philippine Embassy in Berne and the Philippine Consulate General in Geneva will be even more responsive to the needs of overseas Filipinos in Switzerland.
“If we, Filipinos in Switzerland, stay united, we can be a viable force to reckon with. We can do a lot for ourselves and our country. In all the events that I have been to, I have always said that kung sama sama, kayang kaya. We can do a lot together. And together, we can make a difference,” said Ambassador Baja.
The Ambassador also took the opportunity to invite qualified voters to register for overseas voting and participate in nation-building.
As part of its consular service to the Filipinos in Switzerland, the Embassy set up a booth at the venue to facilitate on-the-spot overseas voters registration.
During the event, the Embassy processed 27 applications for overseas voters registration and certification, three for transfer of registration records and one for a change of address. END